Vehicle-dash.



PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

C. R. PATTERSON.

VEHICLE DASH.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.21. 1904.

3 M0 M01 672422166 RPmrwn,

attain;

UNITED STATES PATENT oriuon.

VEHICLE-DASH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed December 21, 1904. Serial No. 287,750.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

a construction for connecting the dash to the body in such a way as to permit of its application and removal by a movement of the dash in a vertical plane only, thus avoiding the necessity of moving the dash bodily forward and disconnecting it, a movement which is frequently impracticable without lifting the body a suitable distance above the gear, owing to the fact that the front transverse member of the gear is frequently located in front of the body in such a position as to prevent a forward movement of the dash.

The invention has for its further object the provision of a connection such that the dash may be disconnected from the body without withdrawing 0r separating the bolts and nuts by which the connection is effected.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong, neat, and efficient connection which will firmly hold the dash in place on the body and permit a ready bringing of the dash and body into proper position relatively to each other and to the connectingbolts.

To these and other ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of the body or box of a vehicle having the dash connected thereto by a structure embodying my invention in one form. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the body, the dash-frame, and the connecting parts. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the same, taken in vertical section on the line w w of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a detail plan section taken on the line 3/ y of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

5 is a detail front elevation of one corner of the dash-frame detached. Fig. 6 is a perspec-. tive view of the connecting-bolt, and Fig. 7

Fig.

is a perspective view of the upper portion of the clip detached.

Referring to the said drawings, 1 indicates the body or box of a vehicle, on the front end of which is mounted the dash 2, which may be constructed in any suitable manner, the construction shown comprising a body of leather and a frame 3, of iron, on which the leather body is mounted, this being the usual construction. 4: indicates the bottom rail or bar of the metallic frame, by means of which the dash is connected to the body. To this end said bottom rail is provided, preferably near each end, with a downwardly-extending lug 5, which has formed in it a verticalslot 6. This slot 6 extends to the lower edge of the lug, where it has an open mouth in order to permit the lug to readily pass over and be -withdrawn from engagement with the connecting-bolt by vertical movement of the dash.

The con necting-bolt is indicated by the reference-numeral 7 and is shown in detail in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Said bolt has the usual cylindrical threaded body and a head-8, between which head and body the bolt is provided with a part 9 which is square in crosssection or otherwise so formed as to have flat parallel sides which fit between the walls of the slot 6 and prevent the bolt from turning when engaged therewith. The front face of the lug 5 is preferably recessed, as indicated at 10, so that the head of the bolt may lie within said recess in such a way as to be substantially flush with the outer face of the lug and not to project beyond the same. The bottom of the recess 10, being the surface against which the inner face of the bolt-head 8 bears, is preferably ribbed or corrugated horizontally or at right angles'to the direction of the slot 6, as indicated at 11, and the inner face of the bolt-head, which bears against this surface of the lug, is preferably similarly corrugated or ribbed, as indicated at 12.

The front wall ormember of the body 1 has an aperture 13 formed therein for the passage of the bolt 7, said aperture being preferably elongated horizontally, so as to give the aperture the form of a slot, this construction permitting adjustment of the dash horizontally relatively to the body and insuring the registry of the connecting-bolts and apertures. The vertical slots 6 of the lugs 5 permit vertical adjustment of the dash relatively to the body in an obvious manner.

Each bolt 7 is provided at its rear end with a nut 14, by means of which the parts are se- ,the front and in the rear.

cured in position. I prefer to provide upon the body-fronta clip 15 to cooperate with each lug 5, said clip embracing the body-front, to which it is secured in such a way as to extend downward from the top thereof both in This clip is provided with apertures or slots 16, corresponding to and registering with the aperture or slot 13 of the body. The bolt 7 passes through these apertures in the clip, as well as through the body, and when the nut 14 is tightened up the head of the bolt draws the lug 5 firmly against the front portion of the clip, the nut bearing against the rear portion of the clip, preferably through the medium'of an interposed washer 17. By reason of this construction the clamping parts bear against the metal clip instead of against the wood of which the body is composed, and this latter is preserved from injury, while a firmer bearing is provided for the connecting parts. When the nuts 1a are tightened up, the corrugations of the lugs and bolt-heads firmly interlock and prevent accidental displacement of the dash. It will be seen that the dash may be readily removed and replaced by simply loosening the nuts 14L sufficiently to unclamp the lugs 5, the removal and replacing of the dash being effected by a direct vertical movement of the dash, so that this operation is in no way affected by the presence in front of the body of any portion of the gear or any other obstacle. It will further be noted that this removal and replacing of the dash does not require the withdrawal or insertion of the connectingbolts, nor does it require a separation of the nuts and bolts which constitute the clamping device, the release or securing in position of the dash being effected by a very slight turn of the nuts in one direction or the other.

The connecting device is simple, inexpensive, readily operated, and does not mar the external appearance of the vehicle, and there are no projecting parts in front of the body which might tend to catch or cause injury.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction hereinbefore described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, as it is obvious that these details may be modified without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a vehicle-body front, of a dash, the frame whereof is provided with lugs extending downward on one side of the body, said lugs having vertical slots with open mouths, connecting-bolts passing through said slots and the body, their heads bearing against said lugs, the portion of each bolt lying within the slot having parallel sides to fit the walls of the slot, and nuts mounted on the ends of said bolts on the other side of said body, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a vehicle-body front, of a dash, the frame whereof is provided with lugs extending downward on one side of the body, each lug having a vertical slot with an open mouth, and a recess to receive the bolt-head, and aconnecting-bolt for each lug passing through the slot and body and having its head lying within said recess, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with avehicle-body front, of a dash, the frame whereof is provided with lugs extending downwardly on one side of the body, each lug having a vertical slot with an open mouth, and a recess to receive the bolt-head, a connecting-bolt for each lug passing through the slot and body and having its head lying within said recess, the portion of each bolt lying within the slot having parallel sides to fit the walls of the slot, and a nut mounted on the end of each bolt on the other side of the body, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a vehicle-body front, of a dash, the frame whereof is provided with lugs extending downward on one side of the body, each lug having a vertical slot with an open mouth and a corrugated or ribbed surface adjacent thereto, a bolt for each lug passing through the slot and body, having its head bearing against the lug and corrugated or ribbed to cooperate with the similar surface thereof, 7 and a nut mounted on each bolt on the other side of the body, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a vehicle-body front, of a dash, the frame whereof is provided with lugs extending downwardly on one side of the body, each lug having a vertical slot with an open mouth, and a recess to receive the bolt-head, the bottom of said recess being ribbed or corrugated, a bolt for each lug passing through the slot and body, and having its head lying within said recess and corrugated or ribbed to cooperate with the similar surface thereof, the portion of each bolt lying within the slot having parallel sides to fit the walls of the slot, and a nut mounted on each bolt on the other side ofthe body, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination, with a vehicle-body front, of a dash, the frame whereof is provided with lugs extending downwardly on one side of the body, said lugs having vertical slots with open months, a clip for each lug mounted on the body-front and embracing the front and rear walls thereof, a bolt for each lug, passing through the slot thereof, and also through the body and through both members of the clip, the head of said bolt bearing against thelug, and a nut mounted on the other end of the bolt, bearing against the clip at the rear thereof, and serving to draw the lug against the front of the clip,

. substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a vehicle-body ITS front having horizontal slots, of a dash, the frame whereof is provided with downwardlyextending lugs having vertical slots with open mouths, and connecting-bolts passing through the slots of the lugs and of the body, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a vehicle-body front, of a dash, the frame whereof is provided with lugs extending downwardly on one side of the body, said lugs having vertical slots with open mouths, a clip for each lug mounted on the body-front and embracing the front and rear walls thereof, a bolt for each lug passing through the slot thereof and also through the body and through both members of the clip, saidbody and clip having horizontal slots to receive said bolt, the head of said bolt bearing against the lug, and a nut mounted on the other end of each bolt, hearing against the clip at the rear end thereof, and serving to draw the lug against the front of the clip, substantially as described. In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES R. PATTERSON. Witnesses:

A. M. MAOKULEY, AUsTIN FERNEAU. 

